'Constantine': New leading lady for NBC drama

The producers of "Constantine" on Sunday announced a new leading lady for the comic book-inspired drama coming to NBC this fall.

Angelica Celaya, an actress best known for her work on telenovelas, replaces Lucy Griffiths, who recently departed the project. Celaya will play Zed, a psychic and foil of demon-hunter John Constantine (Matt Ryan). She'll be introduced early in the show's run.

"She's someone who can go toe-to-toe with John and that's ultimately what we felt we needed," executive producer Daniel Cerone told reporters at the TV critics press tour.

In contrast, Griffiths played a character named Liv in the pilot, but that character came across as too innocent and "reactive," and left producers feeling "hamstrung."

"We wanted a more dynamic relationship, as opposed to someone who is a teacher-mentor and a student," Cerone said. "It just didn't feel as fertile and rich of an area as just a strong a man and a strong woman who are both very different."

Zed is a character from the "Hellblazer" comic book series, who comes with "an interesting dark past," said executive producer David S. Goyer.

Celaya's English-language credits include appearances on "Dallas" and "Burn Notice."